Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1887-07-31
MT. RaInlER.
EEpni.ns. 4 SsaitIs GImbsn IN
mir LGismps 70 saIn The
summit.


summit.
An klSVasssn q ever rsod fess R.achea
scenes % ne way-ssF4aGe
KeefFaeal PAensmena.
Ths twenty-five Nj. Rainier sxCur-
Aonists FstuEnsd Iasf wesk from their
Tires wseks cutting. thsir bs0nzsd faess
aad dilApitAtsa costumes indicating
that they had expsEisaesd the Eieors Of
mountain life - vel 81 is pleasurs.
RvsEyoae parted With . few pOasds Of
ayoirdnpois on The way, but are In 81
csIlsnt health. The incidents they re-
late Of fun and adventure sFe oonvine-
ing that the trip was q success 10 pleas.
urs, and the descriptions Of mountain
grandeur are fairly bewildeFine 70 the
inhabitani Of 9 low altitude. The party
uena e fer as WiIkesOn By cars, and
thence pnshed on to q point 80 miles
distant on the northwest slope Of the
mountain, following for most Of the
wsy the veil beaten Northern Pacific
trail. Owing 10 the failure to seoare
enough horses, ali Of the party walked
practically the whole distance both
vaya, en- one o. kwo occasions ladies
and gentlemen walking 20 miles IN .
day. Counting the daily excursions
made from temporary camps, the SLOW
est walkers made an average walk ct 81
least I've miles day. The trail 20 the
meadows, twsnty-aix miles from Wilke-
son, runs through forests Of msRnid-
cent timber, crossing the undulatinR
foot hills 20 the altitude Of 1000 feet
These meadows furnished the paskur-
aoe for the horses. They are four in
number, with areas from 30 70 SC acres,
lying on plateaus one above another.
The contrast with the dark eneirclinR
forest and froWuing cliffs above makes
the l0velinees Of these oasss
the more appreciated. Here
the campers pitched their tents
and made headquarters. The vicinity
offers many studies for the artisT. In
every direction picturesque waterfalls
are seen, the ceasaless ripple Of their
cascades making sweet melody the day
long. Many varieties of flowers, some
new, we're bioeming with the freshness
Of spring. A few Of the party made q
trip over this same route year before.
Then the meadows were turning brown;
nov they we're bordered by banks Of
snow six feet deep. The lateneea Of the
- - LA
winter vas nov more apparent about
Crater Lake, four miles beyond the
meadows. A year. eco the tourists
bathsd there and ricketed their horses
on the grassy slopes 20 the west Of The
lake. This year the lake was concealed
By fonE feet Of Toe and the banks pack.
/ ed With snow hve TO ten feet deep. Thu
spot is the natural caDping ground for
tourists. Its clear waters mirror the
towering crags Of the mountain and the
waving tops of-the fEs. placid in Ia
deep basin when storms sweep tho
heights above. From 10 radiate path
| to the aummits of Rainier ten miles tC
the southeast to the luxuFiant meadow
four miles below and 10 the hills and
valleys receding in she west. Some en-
| terpFisinR hotel keeper will make biz
fortune here. The party paused herl
only long enough to photograph somI
Of the Wild scenery and sketch tn
distant mountain, and then pressed OF
90 Lace Falls. A half mile befor'
reaching that they we're led by sid
trail TO the bluff named Eagle Cliff
This promontory jats out from tht
mountain at the altitude Of $500 feet
oveFhanginR the Puyallup Valley anI
glacier. A boulder pushed over tn
edge falls clear 1000 feet and continue
It's career bounding over the slopini
base into she valley hundreds Of fee
below. Ths view from this observation
point 10 oyerpoweriBg in its grandeur
Almost half mile down below the fee
Of the observer Rlistens through th
smoky atmosphere silvery stream 0
water, apparently ten or twelve fee
across. Follow up stream with the eY
and the water is seen emerging from
bill Of dirty Ice. Look further and th
mass Of muddy Toe rises abruptly hun
dreds Of feet, and IL broken into ridge
and furgowed with deep assures; higse
yet IL merges into the white side Of th
mountain and is lost in the expanse O
crags and snow fields that terminate 4
the towering peak. This is the Puyal
lcp river, seventy five feet wide, and Il
feeding glacier, a half mile and NOR
broad. II was rest TO the eye to tur
from this tremendous mass Of snow an
view the delicate meshes Of Lace fall
The artists Of the party ssiZsd upo
J this object as peculiarly thel
own. Five hundred feet aboy
lie glides through fields of gree
notified with patches Of snow, gentle q
meadow brook, then plunQes over th
cliff. crossing and recrossinq itself in Il
noisy tumble 10 the rocks below. IL hs
twice the height and half the volume Z
Snoquolmie at this season, and Will
lacking it's magnitude and strength
has more beauty and fascination. Nea
the top OF the falls, al an altitude {
GOO feet, the campers made home "a
several days. On ell sides was sno
from few inches to many feet in depal
The heat Of the sun had melted man
spots that we're dry, and afforded goo
camping sites. Water was ct hand any
where, from the snow banks. The Out
look was to the southwest, over Cd
Puyallup glacier and valley and "a
foot bills radiating IN many lines IA
into the distance. Mt. Rainier va
fairly within arms reach at the east, 9
close that the hollow rumblinR Of ava
lsnohes became . familiar sound. 4
the evening twilight, as the last rays o
the departing sun touched the dome Il
delicate hues Of red and pink, the quiet
ness and solemnity Of the scene va
almost sacred. None will forget 20
Thursday evening prayer meeting bel,
At this camp at sunset. As the last not
Of song died sway the glowing tiu
faded from the summit ikto the col,
gray Of night, the evening star sparkles
| over the western cliffs, and q hush per
vaded nature as in reverence for tn
presence Of the Creator, whose work
there manifested his omniposence anS
giory.
1Be stay at this camp vas one o.
constant delight. The ladies elamberec
- the adjacent heights in search OF
aovers and points from which 10 maks
the best sketches. Observation Peak, a
al altitude Of between 5000 and 500
feet on the north west side Of the noun.
tain, vas reached By several Of them
On the grassy slopes several hundred